Kathy Uyen

Kathy Uyen (1981-    ) is a famous Vietnamese-American actress, film producer and screenwriter currently living and working in Vietnam.

Born as Kathy Uyen Nguyen on April 28, 1981 in San Jose, California to Vietnamese parents, she is the older of two daughters.  From the age of 12, she developed an interest in acting and began appearing in school plays.  After high school, she relocated to Southern California to attend UC Irvine as a double major in economics and film.  During her senior year, she landed an internship at Dreamworks and worked at Warner Brothers and with Adam Sandler.  Kathy Uyen then moved to Los Angeles and produced a Vietnamese language interview show while working as a bartender.  She starred in a series of independent Hollywood movies such as Finishing the Game:  The Search for a New Bruce Lee (2007) alongside Dustin Nguyen, Skid Marks (2007) and Dead Trees (2012).  In 2008, she made a guest appearance on the popular CBS television series, How I Met Your Mother.  

While in college, Kathy Uyen met Vietnamese-American filmmaker Victor Vu who would cast her in her first Vietnamese-language film, Oan Hồn (Spirits) (2004) costarring Tuan Cuong, Kathleen Luong and Catherine Ai.  In 2008, she had a supporting role in the Vietnamese film, Chuyện Tình Xa Xứ (Passport to Love) starring Binh Minh and Ngoc Diep.  The following year she would be honored with a Cánh Diều Vàng Award (the Golden Kite Award), the Vietnamese equivalent to an Oscar, for best supporting actress in a feature film.  In 2012, she starred in the Hong Kong thriller, Supercapitalist, alongside Linus Roache and Derek Tin.  The following year, she was the screenwriter, producer and star of Âm Mưu Giày Gót Nhọn (How to Fight in Six Inch Heels) (2013) which would land her a second Golden Kite Award, this time for best actress.  Among her other Vietnamese films include Để Mai Tính (Fool for Love) (2010) starring Dustin Nguyen and Thai Hoa, Để Mai Tính 2 (2014) starring Thai Hoa, Diem My 9X and Johnny Tri Nguyen and Bộ Ba Rắc Rối (Triple Trouble) (2015) starring comedienne Thuy Nga.  

Kathy Uyen currently resides in Ho Chi Minh City.  

Link(s):

Kathy Uyen Official Website